World War I (1914-1918) was the first war to involve almost all of Europe; Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia all participated. The war wiped out a significant amount of the young generation and changed politics, economics and public opinion in Europe for decades to come. While many countries had a role in the war’s outbreak, Germany probably bore the greatest responsibility due to three factors. The Germans had pushed for war since the founding of the modern German state. Germany had poor relationships with many of the countries that surrounded them. Finally, Kaiser Wilhelm II, the head of Germany, and his government made numerous diplomatic errors in months that led up to the outbreak of the war. …show more content…
German militarism and German nationalism led to a strong desire for war. German people wanted a large and strong army, and they not only respected their soldiers; they worshipped them. They believed in the importance of being and appearing strong. Barbara Tuchman in her book, The Guns of August, notes that unlike President Theodore Roosevelt, who believed that a person should “speak softly and carry a big stick”, the Germans believed that a person should “speak loudly and brandish a big gun.” This motto indicated the German belief in not only being strong, but also looking strong. The Germans also believed that war was ennobling. As the German writer Thomas Mann wrote, “[War is] a purification, a liberation, an enormous hope. The victory of Germany will be a victory of soul over numbers.” German officials believed that an effective way to impress Europe was through threats and a show of power. They wanted to win a war and humble Russia; crush Great Britain and deprive the British of their navy, India, and Egypt; to make France pay indemnity; force Belgium to yield its seacoast; and punish Japan.
The German people had deep nationalistic views about their country. They believed that Germany was the top country and that all other countries should recognize it. The Germans felt as though they were the most educated and progressive people and as such they would enlighten the world. Many
Militarism is the aggressive mobilization of soldiers and military strength. It is often used by countries that rely on armed forces and plan to increase the power of their nation. An example of a country using militarism would be when Germany announced a speech known as “The Hammer or the Anvil.” In this speech, the German Chancellor states that England’s colonial empire has become one of the largest in the world. German Chancellor Bernhard von Bulow states that if Germany does not create a powerful empire, then it will be crushed by its neighboring nations. Bernhard says that Germany will either crush enemy powers like a hammer, or be crushed like an anvil. The reason why this could create tension is because the mobilization of armed forces was often perceived as an act of war. By building up armed forces, Germany, and various other countries, caused each European nation to become uneased. This would later be contributing to the start of World War
Although more countries than Germany itself is responsible for starting the first World War, Germany in its history to become a nation performed certain actions that helped guide the world toward war. War after war was fought in order to solidify Germany as a nation both politically and morally. These wars gave the German people a sense of unity but also fueled rage, hatred, and fear by those that Germany defeated along its path to become a nation. These feelings are not easily forgotten. These feelings could be seen rising up during World War I by the nation of France, who was defeated earlier by the Germans over land disputes as part of Germany’s quest to become a nation, one of the allied powers in the war. As another result of these wars and the quest to build Germany into a nation, Bismark put together a web of complex treaties with varies nations in Europe. These same treaties where then unraveled by William so that Germany could advance as a civilization. Through the actions that the Germans took in order to become a nation did not see them making too many friends as it made them enemies. It is these actions that lead the nations of France, England, and Russia to go on edge and distrust Germany and build an arsenal to defend themselves. When a nation displays the actions that Germany displayed it leads people, and nations alike, to believe that they are aggressive and that they plan to take military action against them in order to expand. This then causes distrust and fear that lead people to take certain measures so when the time comes for war they can defend themselves. As those nations build their arsenals tensions grow even higher. As these tensions grow high, countries form allies with other countries which
Humanity was forever changed after the wars of the 20th century. World War I and World War II are known for the millions of military and civilian lives they took away. Horrific words such as concentration camps, slave labor and genocide are linked to the wars. They are also credited to causing nations to rapidly come up and develop brilliant new inventions, warfare tactics and revolutionary ideas that are still playing intricate roles in modern day societies. Both of these wars were accredited to the implementation of new technology and weapons. Many treaties and agreements were drafted, written and implemented in the aftermath of the war and reconstruction plans were carefully put together. The world famous war
World War I (WWI) had many main events from 1914 – 1918. It was known as the Great War and the war to end all wars. It also introduced us to many new technology to including Barbed wire, machine guns, artillery, poison gas, airships, aircraft 's, new naval vessels and tanks. All these wartime machines and equipment resulted in unprecedented carnage and destruction, with more than 9 million soldiers killed by the end of the war. This First World War or the Great War, was a global war centered in Europe. This global conflict pitted 2 groups against each other “The Allied Powers” and “The Central Powers”. The Allied Powers was made up of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and The United States. Important people that were known for the Allied Powers were Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister (UK), Woodrow Wilson (U.S. President), Aristide Briand, Prime Minister (France), and Prime Minister (France). The Central Powers was made up of Germany, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Important people that were known for the Central Powers were Prince Max Von Baden, Chancellor (Germany), Heinrich Von Clam-Martinic, and Prime Minister (Austria).
Germany was always stuck between some of the most powerful nations on the earth, France, Britain, and Russia. Because of this, they always wanted to be as powerful and to be seen as a force to reckon with. Its sense of nationalism overpowered their thoughts, and they wanted to show the world that they were a nation, and that they could not be stopped. This is easily seen in document A of European alliances, showcasing the fact that Germany, although smushed between France and Russia, was around the size of France and Britain put together, and is even more apparent in Bernhard von Bülow’s speech The Hammer or the Anvil. “...We don’t want our own feet tramped by any foreign power… We don’t ever again want to become… the ‘slaves of humanity.’” (The Hammer or the Anvil, Bülow) Germany had just become a nation, and wishes to fight to stay one. They never want to be trampled on by France, Britain or Russia ever again. They believe they are a powerful nation, a begin preparations to become even more
World War I (WWI) brought unprecedented change to the world. Never before had the entire world engaged in such brutal conflict. World War I brought about great pain and sorrow for the whole world. Even countries who were not directly involved in front line combat bore the suffering of financial and social limitations that affected the entire world during this time.
World War I, one of the most catastrophic wars waged on earth, began on the continent of Europe. This war was not any ordinary war; it differed from other wars because it involved countries from around the globe. It would also prove to have a lasting effect on the following century. To constantly provide for the soldiers, the war caused enormous pain, with millions injured or killed at the front and their families mourning for them. The war was not caused by a sudden or abrupt event; it was a boiling pot ready to overflow at any moment. That is, there were several reasons that prompted the war to break out across Europe. Now, World War I was officially declared in 1914, but years before that, Europe was internally conflicted. Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Serbia all contributed to the war,
You are listening to WBML- 95.5 FM live broadcasting on your radio dial. I am Alice Jordan reporting your evening news on the Great War of 1914. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States during World War one. The outbreak of the Great War of 1914, also known as World War I, started with the assassination of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was shot to death by Gavrilo Princip (Columbia Southern University, (CSU), n.d.). The Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Great War was David George Lloyd (CSU, n.d.). World War1 was the very first modern and trench war, as well as, the last war governed by European traditional Monarchies (CSU, n.d.). Also, World War I created political dislodgments socially and economically that assisted in reshaping the Americans life, even after Armistice Day (Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, & Armitage, 2009). The global effect of World War I involving the U.S. in regards to other countries in the world remained profound (Faragher, B, C, & A, 2009).
World War One, or The Great War as it is sometimes known, significantly altered the course of history for all the countries involved. It ushered in previously unprecedented changes in American politics, economics, and society, through the passage of laws that blatantly violated constitutional rights, a redefinition of women’s role in the workforce and the promotion of agriculture) as well as a rise in radicalism and a new form of patriotism.
At the precipice of World War I (WWI), the United States Army enlisted the help of women nurses resulting in a growth of economic opportunities for women in the nursing field. Before the war women were confined to their stereotype of a being delicate, motherly, and fragile. The war served as an opportunity for women, including nurses, to prove themselves to be more than their stereotype and be involved in the community rather than always sitting behind a man. Propaganda encouraged women to be more involved in the war and soon the concept feminism was reinvented. Female nurses, however, were still struggling to change the minds of people against women taking an active role in society or the military. Nursing had always played an important
“World War I [1914-1918] brought about many significant changes in the aviation field. At the start of World War One, aircraft were very basic and crude. By the time World War One had ended, aircraft had become far more sophisticated and had differentiated into fighters, bombers and long-range bombers. The development of aircraft was stimulated by the war’s requirements, as was the way aircraft were actually used” (“Aircraft and World War One”). At the start of the war, aircraft was thought to be an insignificant asset. Because of this, planes were typically only used for monitoring, rather than attacking the enemy, as well as the world’s first ever aerial photography. If ever enemy aircraft came in contact, by chance, the encounter was typically crude due to lack of training, but deadly.
World War 2 was a huge turning point in history, that fixed most of the things related to wars that World War 1 was supposed to do but did not. There were many differences between the attitude of the US in World War 1, and their attitude in World War 2, mainly due to what happened in between the wars. Unlike World War 1, the second World War, was not about proving a point in the American’s case, but instead revenge for what had happened in between. In the process, the attitude of the American people towards war changed dramatically from the end of World War 1, to the end of World War 2.
During the beginning and middle of World War II, there was a lot of political debate regarding the war. Leading political figures such as American President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were some of the most politically and socially persuasive figures during this time of the World War. Both Winston Churchill and Harry S. Truman use persuasive means to encourage the people of the United States to accept their decisions made to help in the war effort, as Churchill desperately desired Allied help on the war front, and he and Truman would have to convince the American public to stand behind such a commitment. To secure the Allied forces overtook by the Axis powers, Churchill and Truman teamed up to present
Europe, ancient and modern, is known for internal wars. From countries trying to obtain more land to genocide Europe has seen it all. However 1914 started something new, World War One or The war to end all wars. WWI brought more death to the western world than ever before. In 1918 WWI ended and with it came an uneasy peace to Europe for twenty. The war that ranged from 1939 to 1945 became known as World War II, a sequel to WWI with and even larger death toll than before. Although they were twenty years apart, World War II can be seen as a continuation of World War I and not a war of its own.
World War I, took place between the periods 1914 to 1918. During this period, the British had already settled in India and were oppressing the local Indians. When the war broke out, they asked the Indian soldiers to take part in the war with a promise of Independence if they emerged victoriously. The Indians kept their word and sent their soldiers to war and even became successful, but the British did not keep their end of the deal. They failed to grant India their independence and continued to oppress them. Therefore, the Indians felt that their soldiers had helped the British win their wars at their expense and thus did not consider them as heroes. They even failed to honor the soldiers similarly, the British downplayed the contribution